Appendicularia (animal genus)
Genus of tunicates in the family Fritillariidae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Appendicularia is a genus of larvaceans in the family Fritillariidae.
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| Appendicularia | |
|---|---|
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| Appendicularia sp. specimen | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Tunicata |
| Class: | Appendicularia |
| Order: | Copelata |
| Family: | Fritillariidae |
| Subfamily: | Appendiculariinae Seeliger, 1895 |
| Genus: | Appendicularia Fol, 1874 |
| Type species | |
| Appendicularia sicula Fol, 1874 | |
| Species | |
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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History
The genus name Appendicularia was originally coined by Chamisso and Eysenhardt in 1821, naming the first discovered larvacean Appendicularia flagellum. However, the lack of an accurate description made it a nomen nudum, leading to it being reused by Hermann Fol for the species Appendicularia sicula.[2]
Description
Appendicularia is relatively small in comparison to other larvaceans, with an adult body length of around 0.4 mm and a tail length of around 1.1 mm in A. sicula. The body is flattened in its front half, and bulged in its posterior half. The house is ellipsoidal, measuring around 2.6 mm in length.
